Mr. Speaker, another week goes by with yet another story about the F-35 procurement unraveling before our very own eyes.

Having bought into the program hook, line and sinker, the Minister of National Defence is isolated within his own cabinet. Indeed, it is so bad that the minister now has his own personal babysitter. In short, it is a mess.

What is it that the Minister of National Defence is doing to pull the plug on this program, which is in its own death spiral?

Mr. Speaker, there is no intent to pull the plug on an asset that is so critical to Canadian sovereignty and provides our men and women the assets they need well into the future to fulfill their missions and return home safe at the end of those missions to their families.

As well, we are now into cutting steel. This is not a reversal item. This is the right plane, the right aircraft for the right time and well into the future. We made that decision. In fact, the Liberal government of the day in 1997 embarked on this very same project.

Mr. Speaker, now even the babysitting minister whistles past the graveyard.

Serious countries explore alternative procurement strategies. Indeed, some of them have already pulled out of the program altogether.

What kind of a minister sticks with a program where he does not even know the final cost? Open procurement is the only answer. Why will the minister not pull out of this program before he crash lands us all?

Mr. Speaker, that is the same government of the day that embarked on this very same project, and now it has cold feet. That is the same government of the day that sent its men and women into battle in danger zones in Afghanistan, in a desert setting, wearing green uniforms.

Mr. Speaker, this week the Privacy Commissioner sounded alarm bells again, raising serious concerns about the Conservative government's lawful access legislation. The Privacy Commissioner said that Conservatives had not justified the sweeping search and seizure powers they plan to foist on commercial ISPs.

Will the Minister of Public Safety accept the Privacy Commissioner's recommendations and fix the legislation before it is reintroduced?

Candice BergenParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety

Mr. Speaker, I will be perfectly clear. No legislation proposed in the past, present or future by a Conservative government would allow for police to read emails without a warrant. As technology evolves, many criminal activities, such as the distribution of child pornography, becomes easier, and we are proposing measures to bring our laws into the 21st century.

I find it remarkable that the same party that wants to look at the private records of law-abiding gun owners wants to protect potential child pornographers.

This is again about the Privacy Commissioner. The commissioner said that this proposal to hugely expand surveillance and weaken judicial scrutiny went far beyond what is needed. According to the commissioner, better alternatives exist to give police the investigative tools they need while still preserving the privacy of Canadians.

When will the government finally acknowledge these serious privacy concerns and agree to fix the bill?

Candice BergenParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety

Mr. Speaker, our proposal will not allow for access to private communications without a warrant. What we are proposing is a balanced approach between checking on those who may be distributing child pornography and the right of individuals to have their information remain private.

We ask the NDP to support this good legislation to get it to the 21st century, but also to support the private records of law-abiding long gun owners in this country.

Lois BrownParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation

Mr. Speaker, I am proud that this morning the Minister of International Cooperation announced Canada's response to this disaster. Canada stands by the people of Turkey, and we offer our support and sympathy to the families and loved ones affected by the tragic earthquake.

We are sending 500 winterized tents to Turkey. The tents will ensure urgently needed emergency shelter for 500 families, and we will continue to monitor the situation there.

Mr. Speaker, some time ago, the Government of Canada and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador signed an MOU for a loan guarantee covering the Muskrat Falls electrical project. Since then, we have heard nothing.

In our province, commitments from the government are often taken with some degree of skepticism. We wonder if this is really a commitment, or is it a scheme to keep the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in line?

My question is for the minister responsible for Newfoundland and Labrador. Has the government completed its due diligence analysis and is it on time for final approval, or is this just another tactic it is using to keep the provinces in line?

Mr. Speaker, we are very proud of the commitment we made to Muskrat Falls. We will continue to show support. This is a very important economic development project for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and, in fact, for all the people of Atlantic Canada. It offers the prospect of clean energy at low cost and economic development and growth and jobs.That is the focus of our government: economic growth and job creation.